Mānoa Heritage Center
Photos taken Spring 2013
Driving home along Mānoa Road deep into the lush Mānoa Valley, I often noticed an intriguing looking property with a large Tudor styled home & historic atmosphere. I later found out that this was the historic Cooke family residence, a preserved landmark set on 3 acres that also includes an ancient Hawaiian heiau (stone temple) & native Hawaiian plant garden.
I approached the Mānoa Heritage Center earlier this year to do a photo series in the garden of their historic landmark property & was welcomed to join along a school tour to document & take notes as well as return to more closely photograph aspects of the property.
Touring the property with a school group & docent well versed in the historic & cultural uses of plants throughout the garden, I was struck by the richness of purpose of many of the plants cultivated here. Native plants are determined as having arrived here by wing, wave or wind & the garden is home to several of them, cared for well & also serving the purpose to educate all who tour the grounds. Native plant specialist Anthony Ortiz, a caretaker of the gardens, later walked around with me, explaining the cultivation & uses of many of the plants while I photographed them.
The cultural uses of the plants in the gardens at the Mānoa Heritage Center are manifold: ropes, medicinal, tools, dyes, fabrics, fishhooks and more. Photographing them was interesting & a pleasure, not only to learn about the purposes they serve but also for their unique & beautiful features.
‘ilie’e
‘ilima papa
Children’s hands on volcanic rock walls during school tour
Native Amaranth
Awa
Cooke Residence
The ancient Heiau dedicated to agricultural God Lono
Kalo (Taro)
An extremely important plant in Hawaiian culture, Taro is a staple food source as well as a plant rich with spiritual symbolism. Mythologically & culturally, the plant is literally the elder brother of mankind, nourishing & caring for man. In return, mankind must care for & respect the kalo. Boiled leaves are eaten like spinach and steamed taro mashed in poi.
Kukui Nut
The kukui is the Hawai’i state tree, a.k.a. the “candlenut tree.” The nut, 80% oil, yields many uses. Historically the oil was an source of lighting fuel & used for lamp oil. The nut meat was also used cooked as a relish & today you can find Kukui nut sold for skin care as well as cooking. The nut also has historic use medicinally (as a laxative) & for dyes.
Magnolia & Bees
Native Mint
Moa
Munroidendron
Naupaka Coastal (above) & Naupaka Mountain (Below)
Noni
Introduced from Polynesia, the Noni plant has historic significance medicinally on the Hawaiian Islands. The fruit was used as a poultice & the leaves used to ease pains of muscels & joints when applied with heated stones & massage. The bark had historic use as a yellow, red (when mixed with burnt color) & blue (when mixed with sea water) dye. Today, Noni juice is often drank for it’s health benefits.
Plumeria
Sugarcane
Sweet Potatao
Mānoa Valley View
Water Lily
Wauke (above & below)
Introduced by Polynesians, the fibrous bark of this tree was useful as a material that when pounded became soft durable kapa. Kapa has multiple uses including clothes, wrapping, flags, bedding & ceremonial uses.
White Hibiscus
Endemic species of Hawaiian Hibiscus
